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The only way is up for London

As the capital gets ever more crowded towers are shooting up everywhere

Susan Emmett

June 22 2012, 1:01am, The Times

The Strata building, designed by Robin Partington, is one of London’s more distinctive towers

The number of tall buildings in London is set to multiply over the next few years. The Shard, the Gherkin, Tower 42, the towers at Canary Wharf and about forty-three others already fill the City’s skyline, which was dominated by St Paul’s Cathedral right up to 1956. They will be joined by the Walkie Talkie, the Cheese Grater and eventually the Pinnacle. But this is just the start.

As the inauguration of the Shard is set for next month, scores of less well-known high-rises are sprouting up between the flashy skyscrapers with snappy nicknames. Many are new residential blocks being built to satisfy the increasing demand for property in London.

With buyers flocking to London from around the globe and competing with locals for a…

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